![]() |
![]() |
1. IntroductionThe eEurope 2002 Action Plan recommended the creation of a co-ordination mechanism for digitisation programmes across Member States. In 2001, representatives and experts from Member States met under the Swedish Presidency, supported by the European Commission, and agreed the Lund Principles 1 that established priorities to add value to digitisation activities in ways that would be sustainable over time. The accompanying Lund Action Plan recommended actions to support progress for the period until 2005. The Lund Action Plan is being implemented by a group of National Representatives (NRG) and successive Presidencies, and benefits from several projects and research networks, including the highly successful. Minerva 2 and Digicult 3 projects.
As many of the barriers identified within Lund continue to exist, one of the
Council’s priorities for the 2005-2006 Work Plan is to proceed with
coordination through an updated action plan as a follow up on the Lund
actions 4. On 14 November 2005, the Council reaffirmed the validity of the
Lund Principles, and recognised digitisation of cultural and scientific heritage
to be of strategic importance in:
This importance is also recognised by ongoing investments by the Member
States, and by the Commission’s Communication “i2010 – Digital Libraries” 5. 2. General ObjecivesEurope’s cultural and scientific knowledge resources are a unique public asset forming the collective and evolving memory of our diverse societies. Resource discovery, accessibility, usability, interoperability authenticity, quality and trust by all users of the Information Society are essential requirements for the delivery of digital cultural information and services. In an increasingly broadband-enabled society, relevant and useful digital content and services provide bridges to enable social inclusion, promote learning and overcome the digital divide. Cultural institutions such as libraries, museums, archives and natural and environmental heritage bodies are essential contributors of digital content, but they need to be mobilised and effort must be co-ordinated to make best use of existing technologies and to contribute to the creation, use and delivery of local cultural content that meets the needs of all citizens.
To realise the vision of a European Cultural Information Space, six objectives
are pursued through this updated action plan, acknowledging and building
upon the previous set of Lund Principles: 3. Action areasA. Users and contentUsers need to benefit more from the networking of cultural knowledge, as the implementation of technologies enables the development of a European Cultural information space. They need to be facilitated to find easily and use cultural content and to contribute their own knowledge and experience, becoming active citizens in information societies. Key issues:
Immediate actions 2006-2007:(1) Bringing together national and European digitisation initiatives to establish a European Common Information Space, including the TEL and Michael / MICHAEL Plus projects
(2) Develop flexible monitoring mechanisms to demonstrate the authenticity, performance and security of the deployment of digital cultural content and services. (3) Assess the impact of models that:
(4) Work towards common quality standards for accessibility and usability and provide support and guidance to enable the development of services that meet these standards. (5) Assess the role of digital cultural content for boosting eLearning and the Creative Industries. (6) Promoting best practice examples of the use of technology to support access for all citizens. B. Technologies for digitisationThe technological environment in which Europe’s digital cultural content industries are taken forward is mainly the result of developments in major ICT industries (telecommunications, network infrastructures, database technologies and personal/business computing). Digitisation initiatives of cultural content holders do not automatically coincide with or take account of innovations driven by scientific or business research and development. Cultural institutions therefore need guidance to take account of the significance of existing and emerging developments in the research and application domains and to ensure that their own research needs are met. Key issues:
Immediate actions 2006-2007:
(1) Define common needs for research and tools for digitisation. C. Sustainability of contentEuropean Digital Libraries need the unique assets that Europe’s cultural and scientific knowledge resources provide, forming a basis for the development of digital content industries in a sustainable knowledge society. There is a need to identify and remove barriers to the economic sustainability of the creation and maintenance of these digital cultural assets, services and Dynamic Action Plan 7 networks, allied to a need to develop appropriate policy approaches, technological solutions and business models in this area. Key issues:
Immediate actions 2006-2007:
(1) Develop and promote the implementation of funding and business models that support economic sustainability of digital cultural content. D. Digital preservationSafeguarding digital resources for the future is a vital part of a sustainable Knowledge Society. Ever larger volumes of information are ‘born digital’ and their preservation is vital, not just to the cultural sector, but also in critical areas such as eGovernment and eHealth. The issue needs to be tackled on many fronts (technological, research, organisational and operational), but still has not been embedded in service or policy development. Action research is needed to avoid a ‘digital dark age’. Key issues:
Immediate actions 2006-2007:
(1) Stimulate implementation of policies and tools for digital preservation. E. Monitoring progressMonitoring the implementation of the Dynamic Action Plan is essential to demonstrate the impact of the efforts and investment at European and Member State levels and to track progress towards the creation of the European Cultural Information Space. Changing needs and requirements can be better understood and valued by measuring from a common baseline, using agreed indicators and sharing methodologies. This will enable the identification of the contribution being made through co-ordination, funding, policy implementation and the deployment of research results at national and European levels. Key issues:
Immediate actions 2006-2007:
(1) Quantify the results of digitisation initiatives by delivering standardised
data on input/output/use indicators and present these in an annual
publication. 4. Implementation
(1) On 16 November 2004, the Council of the European Union agreed to
proceed with the coordination of digitisation through an updated
European action plan as a follow up of the Lund action plan, to be
delivered under UK Presidency 6. Member States are expected to take the
necessary steps for the implementation of the action plan at hand. In that context, NRG will carry out specific actions to:
|
1 see www.cordis.lu/ist/digicult/lund-principles.htm [return] 2 see www.cordis.lu/ist/digicult/projects_all.htm [return] 3 see www.digicult.info [return] 4 Council Doc. 13839/04, cult 102 [return] 5 COM(2005) 229 – i2010 [return] 6 Council Doc. 13839/04, cult 102 [return] 7 CAC DOC 11107/05 [return] |
![]() |